12 Days Solo in Shanxi, China 🇨🇳 Ancient Temples & Hidden Gems | Travel Vlog

🇨🇳 Join me on a 12-day solo trip through Shanxi, China — exploring ancient temples, murals, and traditional architecture in Yuncheng, Linfen, Jinzhong, and Taiyuan. Wooden temples, intricate ceilings, murals, and painted sculptures gave me so many reasons to slow down and look closer. Along the way, I joined small-group tours, took local buses, and fitted freelance work into my evenings at the hotel. Even though I grew up in China, this was my first time visiting Shanxi. Exploring these places made me feel more connected to my own heritage — and reminded me how much there is still to discover. ✈️ TRAVELING VLOG | EP. 01 If you found me through my videos about online business and making a living, welcome to another part of my life. This new series follows my travels and the everyday reality of working for myself along the way. 💬 English & Simplified Chinese subtitles available. Turn on CC and choose your language in Settings → Subtitles/CC. 💡 PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS 🎟️ Yuncheng Annual Tourism Pass | 运城旅游年票 — RMB 128 If you're visiting several sights in Yuncheng, I highly recommend buying this pass. I visited so many places here, and it's worth comparing the pass with individual admission tickets. Search “运城旅游年票” on WeChat to check the participating attractions, entry requirements, and current terms before buying. 🚌 Day tours in Yuncheng & Linfen: I joined shared small-group day tours in both cities. They cost less than hiring a private car on my own, and I met lots of fellow solo travelers and interesting people along the way. For me, it was a more affordable and sociable way to explore. I also used trains, local buses, and taxis during the trip. 🏯 Guided visits: A guide helped me understand the buildings and murals. Ask about sharing a guide with other visitors, and check which languages are available. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome to Shanxi, China 00:41 Yuncheng & solo travel 01:51 Feiyun Tower & wooden architecture 02:38 Guandi Temple & its intricate ceiling 03:38 Jiyi Temple murals 04:46 Yongle Palace & Taoist art 05:12 Freelance life: working while traveling 06:33 Heading to Linfen & Fencheng Ancient Town 08:18 Xiaoxitian's suspended sculptures 09:11 Jinzhong: Zhenguo Temple near Pingyao 09:51 Shuanglin Temple's painted sculptures 11:05 Taiyuan & Jinci 11:54 Northern Qi Mural Museum 12:36 Reflections on 12 days in Shanxi 📍 PLACES MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO Listed in the order they are first mentioned, with Chinese names to help you find them. Yuncheng | 运城 • Feiyun Tower | 飞云楼 • Jiezhou Guandi Temple | 解州关帝庙 • Jiyi Temple | 稷益庙 • Yongle Palace | 永乐宫 Linfen | 临汾 • Fencheng Ancient Town | 汾城古镇 • City God Temple, Fencheng | 汾城城隍庙 • Xiaoxitian | 小西天 Jinzhong | 晋中 • Zhenguo Temple | 镇国寺 • Shuanglin Temple | 双林寺 Taiyuan | 太原 • Jinci | 晋祠 • Dou Dafu Shrine | 窦大夫祠 • Northern Qi Mural Museum | 北齐壁画博物馆 🗺️ MY FULL TRIP ITINERARY I visited many more places than I could cover in this video. Here is my full list, grouped by area. Not every stop appears on screen. Yuncheng | 运城 • Dafo Temple, Jishan | 稷山大佛寺 • Jishan Jiwang Temple | 稷山稷王庙 • Macun Brick-Carved Tombs | 马村砖雕墓 • Qinglong Temple | 青龙寺 • Feiyun Tower | 飞云楼 • Wanrong Jiwang Temple | 万荣稷王庙 • Houtu Shrine | 后土祠 • Li Family Compound | 李家大院 • Baitai Temple | 白台寺 • Fusheng Temple | 福胜寺 • Longxing Temple | 龙兴寺 • Sanguan Temple | 三官庙 • Jiangzhou Government Office | 绛州署 • Jiyi Temple | 稷益庙 • Yongle Palace | 永乐宫 • Guangrenwang Temple | 广仁王庙 • Fenglingdu | 风陵渡 • Guanque Tower | 鹳雀楼 • Yellow River Iron Oxen (Pujin Ferry Site) | 黄河大铁牛（蒲津渡遗址） • Pujiu Temple | 普救寺 • Jiezhou Guandi Temple | 解州关帝庙 Linfen | 临汾 • Fencheng Ancient Town | 汾城古镇 • Hukou Waterfall | 壶口瀑布 • Xiaoxitian | 小西天 • Guangsheng Temple | 广胜寺 Jinzhong | 晋中 • Houtu Temple, Jiexiu | 介休后土庙 • Xianshen Tower | 祆神楼 • Jiexiu Museum | 介休市博物馆 • Pingyao Ancient City | 平遥古城 • Wang Family Compound | 王家大院 • Shuanglin Temple | 双林寺 • Zhenguo Temple | 镇国寺 Taiyuan | 太原 • Jinci | 晋祠 • Northern Qi Mural Museum | 北齐壁画博物馆 • Dou Dafu Shrine | 窦大夫祠 🎥 FILMING EQUIPMENT DJI Pocket 4 iPhone 18 Which of these places would you most like to visit? If you've been to Shanxi, I'd love to hear what I should explore next. Thanks for traveling with me. Subscribe for more journeys through China and beyond. 🎵 MUSIC Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). "Beauty Flow" — Kevin MacLeod Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty... "Porch Swing Days - slower" — Kevin MacLeod Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty... "Eastern Thought" — Kevin MacLeod Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty... Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Tracks have been excerpted, faded, volume-adjusted, and arranged for this video. #Shanxi #ChinaTravel #SoloTravel